20 Rights I’m Terrified Women Will Lose Now That Donald Trump Has Been Elected

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OK, it’s no surprise that this whole election has been a shit-show; but did anyone actually believe that Donald Trump would win the election? I didn’t. I expected rationality to beat out racism, sexism, and a bad spray tan; but I was wrong. Now that America has elected to send the country back 50 years, I worry that Mr. Trump (#NotMyPresident) will strip women their rights once he’s sworn in. Here are a few I feel are under siege.

1 | The right to love.

Lin-Manuel Miranda said it best: “Love is love is love.” If I want to marry another woman, that is just as much my right as marrying a man. The Supreme Court ruled that gay marriage is legal in all 50 states and many people have had trouble accepting that. With the Westboro Baptist Church freaking out over the ruling and protesting everything from tech companies to funeral, and the average person believing that the ruling will allow people to start screwing anything and everything, it’s no surprise that a cold-hearted man (who probably imported his wives because no one loves him) wants to take that away.

2 | The right to education.

Trump has announced that he wants to work with Congress to pressure universities with large endowments to spend more on their students and has even gone so far as to threaten their tax-exempt status. It might be a good idea to have colleges dedicate funds more toward financial aid for students, but let’s think about how Trump handles things: with anger, rash decisions, and very little thinking. U.S. News explained, “Although many schools have the resources to spend more on financial aid, they don’t have free reign over how their endowment money is used. College endowments are mostly made up of restricted money — gifts in which the donor dictates how the money is to be spent.” Here’s where my fear comes in: if Trump were to disrupt funding to universities, whatever money was left for scholarships and financial aid would be shared primarily with men. We live in a nation that tends to favor men in schools and in occupations. I just hope Trump doesn’t go so far as to take my degree away.

4 | The right to equal pay.

I just want to repeat: women make 80 cents to every man’s dollar. Let that sink in; then get pissed about it. Some of the most hardworking people I know are men. This isn’t an “I hate men” piece, but at the same time, a lot of the men I have worked with make more than me and do half the work. But thanks to businessman Donald, I will just only ever be seen as a ticking time-bomb of emotions who will eventually get knocked-up and cause a strain on the company.

5 | The right to choose.

Dear men: until you experience decades of periods (the moodiness, breakouts, and crippling cramps included), nine months of carrying a child that you don’t want to birth (because of whatever reason), and the excruciating pain of childbirth, then you have no right to tell a woman what can and cannot be done to her body. Women, even if you have been through that experience, you still have no right. The only person responsible for a woman’s body is herself. Her body, her rules.

Even though Trump knows, and acknowledged, that Planned Parenthood helps “millions and millions of women,” he still plans to defund it. Just so you know, Planned Parenthood helps women by providing birth control, lifesaving cancer screenings, as well as STI testing and treatments, and more. Despite all of that, Trump has promised to fill the Supreme Court with misogynistic, psychotic, anti-abortion judges to put a stop to it. These judges will overturn rulings that have deemed our constitutional rights and will probably create new laws to punish any woman who has an abortion. Trump said, “You wouldn’t even have to bother going to court. You’re going to know the answers” And the answer is: you’re screwed.

6 | The right to not be sexually assaulted.

Our next leader is known for his wonderful Twitter rants and statements about women. He has made comments referring to women as pigs and housekeepers, to disrespecting them because of having a period, and even made a comment about sexual assault in the military being expected because you’re putting men and women together. You know what I should expect when I’m in the same room as a man? Respect. I do not expect catcalls, groping, or rape. But now that Trump is taking charge, I fully expect his male followers to follow his lead and do whatever they want. What’s worse is that they already have.

In NY Magazine, nine violent attacks against women (by Trump supporters) have been reported. Among the reports of a 69-year-old woman being punched in the face at a Trump rally and a teen girl get pepper-sprayed at a different rally, is a chilling encounter that hit too close to home (literally) in Penn Station. A woman shared her story of walking through Penn when she was approached by a man who wanted to get to know her better. She politely declined and explained she had a boyfriend. This man responded: “Wow. Fucking bitch. I can’t wait until Trump gets elected so I can force bitches like you down on your knees.” Thank you Donald, I really love walking around the city constantly looking over my shoulder to keep an eye out for rapists.

7 | The right to a family.

I want it all: a job, a life, and a family (one day). And I deserve it. Everyone deserves it. When it comes to parental leave, the U.S. is dead last in comparison to developed countries. Trump says he wants six weeks of paid leave just for mothers; and probably just married mothers. Not fathers and not single mothers. Everyone should be upset about this. Not only is this a tiny amount of time, but it is also important for both parents to be present in the early stages of a child’s life. I guess being a good father isn’t important to Trump. Sorry Tiffany, maybe one day your daddy will acknowledge you.

8 | The right to be heard.

Women are just as smart – if not smarter – than any given man. Listen and respect to what we have to say and we will do the same. Sorry ladies; unfortunately, we will probably lose this right faster than any other one. With a leader who can’t even listen to his opponent’s points in a debate without calling her a “nasty woman,” his followers will shut down any opposition – or rationality – that may be shared with them, no matter how much research you have. This will come in many different ways: flat out aggression, talking over you, blaming your ideas on not understanding, or claiming you only think that way because you’re a woman.

9 | The right to LGBTQ protection.

Last year, President Obama – oh my God, I miss him already – signed an executive order which outlawed discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. But now, as confirmed by our VP-to-be, our future fuhrer plans to dismantle that order then push conversion therapy. Instead of protecting our American citizens, Trump plans to only care about the rich, white, and straight ones.

10 | The right to dress how you want.

Get ready for Miss America pageants year round: swimsuit contests in January, sexy talent routines instead of 9-5 jobs, and nothing but heels. Flats will probably be outlawed, makeup will be mandatory, and hairspray will be used so often that the ozone will disappear entirely. In all seriousness, though, with supporters trying to rip off Muslim women’s hijabs and headscarves and Trump being told he should replace hijab wearing TSA workers with veterans, it’s only a matter of time before any kind of religious attire being deemed as offensive and outlawed. Oh, and we can say goodbye to sensible pantsuits; no one can look like Hillary.

Only dresses and skirts, right Donals? Make sure that men have easy access.

11 | The right to stand with the Black Lives Matter movement.

If we’ve learned anything from this election, it’s this: America is still very divided and racism and sexism are running rampant. Our next leader has been endorsed by the KKK. You’d think that someone who is so obsessed with making America great again for its citizens would be more concerned with the safety and respect of these men and women.

12 | The right to be safe at work.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission exists for a reason: to protect you from discrimination and assault in the workplace. Everyone has the right to feel safe where they are; there should be no worries of sexual harassment or assault. However, our good old Trump has a better solution than being safe: just quit and find another career. He said that if Ivanka – sorry Tiffany, you’re still not the favorite daughter – were sexually harassed that he “would like to think she would find another career or find another company,” because it’s so damn easy to get another job. I’d rather just keep the right to be safe.

13 | The right to not be ranked by fuckability.

This is just disgusting. Our future ruler went on Howard Stern and shared his list of top 10 beautiful women as well as who he would sleep with. Women are so much more than their bodies: they are brains, emotions, strength, and leadership. By degrading women in this manner, Trump is insulting every woman who has worked to be respected – which is every woman. You are telling women that they are only as important as they are beautiful.

15 | The right to have silence respected.

Let’s not forget Ghazala Khan – the Muslim woman who stood silently by her husband, Khizr Khan, while he spoke of their fallen son at the DNC. Trump stated that perhaps she was silent because she “wasn’t allowed to have anything to say.” As women, we have a right to be heard just as we have a right to mourn in silence. I know it’s hard for Trump to understand, but sometimes you don’t have to yell to be heard. Silence can speak volumes.

16 | The right to free speech.

Just throw this right out the window now. We’ve seen Trump threaten to sue The New York Times, tweet about how SNL is rigging the election, and ask Second Amendment people to take out Hillary Clinton. Do you really think there’s a chance that we’ll continue to have the freedom of speech once he is in office? While there is no direct evidence that Trump will enact any laws to limit speech, it would not be surprising to see happen. No one is safe from Trump’s furry. You’re either with him or against him; and if you’re against him you’re a major threat. I probably need to start clearing my social media pages before the government comes to lock me up for speaking out against Dictator Trump.

18 | The right to breastfeed.

Donald thinks breasts are fantastic – seriously, just Google the things he’s said, there are too many to cite. However, when they’re used for their actual purpose, breastfeeding, his feelings toward a woman’s breasts change. During one of Trump’s many lawsuits, lawyer Elizabeth Beck asked for a court break to pump breast milk for her 3-month-old daughter. When it became an urgent medical break, she left the room, but not before Trump had the chance to tell her: “You’re disgusting.”

Believe it or not, breasts are not there for the sexual pleasure of men. They are there to feed infants and keep them alive. I’m not even sorry if someone breastfeeding makes you uncomfortable. It’s a natural thing to do and should be respected.

19 | The right to be in power.

Just look at what happened when Carly Fiorina was in the running for the republican nominee: as she interrupted her male counterparts and tried to make her voice heard – something Donald did quite often – Trump criticized her aggression and even went so far as to say, “Look at that face. Would anyone vote for that?” Instead of using rationality and argue points she made, Donald attacked her appearance. Trump to bully and belittled a woman who won the republican nomination for Senator of California instead of treating her as presidential competition. If he can’t get over a woman of power’s appearance, how could he ever respect her?

20 | The right to vote.

This is the biggest and most concerning threat that we will face in the next four years. It should be no surprise by now that Donald Trump doesn’t view women as equal. He clearly doesn’t care about their opinion, he doesn’t want to listen to them, and he certainly doesn’t respect them. The New York Post shared graphs of what it would look like if just women voted and if just men voted. It shouldn’t be surprising that if just men voted, Trump would have won by a landslide, but if just women voted, we would be celebrating our first woman president. This led many of Trump’s supporters to want to repeal the 19th amendment. They want to take our right to vote away. Forget being sent back 50 years, these people want to take us all the way back to 1920 where women had no rights.

If America was solely facing a republican presidency, that would be one thing. Donald Trump would be scary but not nearly as terrifying. The thing that makes all of my fears possible is the fact that republicans also hold the majority in the House and the Senate. With Trump’s impulsiveness and a Congress that won’t try and stop him, America is facing a very scary future.

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Hattie Weber is a senior editor at Badass + Living. A 2015 college graduate, Hattie is a Texan residing in New York City. Her life experiences – from being a traveler to a debutante to an office manager – have given her a great understanding of her fellow millennials. Hattie has been published in Thought Catalog's "More Than 20 Minutes Of Reading: Everything You Need To Read About The Brock Turner Case & Controversy." Her dedication to those she cares about and her unapologetic honesty are what make her a badass.